Search for boy ends in tragedy

SILVER SPRINGS - As a full moon crept above the mountain range Monday evening, Lyon County Sheriff's Lt. Rob Hall choked back tears.

The end result of a two-day frantic search at Lake Lahontan was horrible, he said.

Apollo "A.J." Fuller, 6, had drowned.

Despite an exhaustive search with more than 50 search and rescue members, sonar-equipped boats and divers, it was a group of campers disembarking from their boat on Beach 3 just before 5 p.m. who had the sad fortune Monday of spotting the boy.

More than two days after the Reno boy had gone missing on the Fourth of July, a Lyon County Sheriff's sergeant waded into the water and brought A.J. to shore.

The family rushed to the scene and, with a sheriff's chaplain by their side, Hall said, the family said a prayer over A.J.'s little body beneath that gigantic moon.

Hall didn't try to hide his sadness.

"The family would like to thank all of the campers who helped in the search for A.J., and they would also like to thank state parks, the Nevada Division of Wildlife, Washoe County, Douglas and Lyon counties for working so hard to find A.J. and a special thank you to the volunteers who came so quickly," said the father and seasoned investigator with tears in his eyes. "They're heartbroken."

About 1:30 p.m. Saturday, A.J.'s paternal grandmother, awarded custody of him in January, reported her grandson missing to park rangers.

Initially, said Hall, authorities thought the boy was last seen walking toward the bathrooms. The park was virtually locked down, said Park Director Rob Holley. Throughout Saturday searchers checked campsites and bathrooms and the thick brush across the beach. Any vehicles that left the park were searched.

Some of the 10,000 campers joined in the hunt as well.

Authorities thought A.J. had possibly been abducted or was just lost. A camper reported seeing a van at the beach that belonged to a known sex offender who lived in Carson City. Lyon County called the Carson City Sheriff's Office and deputies checked on the sex offender. He was home. A.J. was not there.

Then Sunday, A.J.'s teenage cousin told police he had been with the child as they played on a water trampoline just off the shore.

Cadaver dogs and members of the Washoe County Sheriff's Hasty team responded. Late into the evening, they trolled the sandy bottom of the man-made lake around where the large inflatable trampoline had been anchored.

Visibility in the mostly still waters of Lake Lahontan is "next to zero," said Holley. "You can see your hand under the water but that's about it."

A.J. slipped beneath the murky waters at a depth of about 5 feet, said Hall.

Holly said the last drownings at Lahontan were in the summer of 2005 when alcohol and fatigue contributed to the deaths of two men.

The last time a juvenile died at the state park was in 2006, when a sand cave collapsed on a 17-year-old boy.

He said for the number of visitors the desert campground hosts - an estimated 30,000 people celebrated the holiday weekend at Lahontan State Park this year - their safety record is good.

"But this is just so sad," he said. "It just takes a second. Someone has to be on guard duty. The only time parents can really relax is when the kids are in the car or asleep. Someone has to be watching all the time."